10 Message Points On Hispanics & Illegal Immigration

There are a lot of valid complaints about conservative messaging on illegal immigration. Unfortunately, those of us who are in favor of securing the border and against amnesty can come across, falsely, as being hostile to Hispanic Americans.

With that in mind, here are points that may deserve to get a little more attention when we’re talking about illegal immigration…

1) Conservatives believe prosperous Hispanics are more likely to vote for their candidates than poor Hispanics. Liberals believe exactly the opposite. So, if you’re Hispanic and poor, Democrats want to keep you right where you are while Republicans want to see you become wealthier and more successful.

2) There is a false assumption about Hispanics that drives a lot of the immigration debate. That assumption is that the average Hispanic American cares more about an illegal alien from Mexico or El Salvador than he does about his fellow Americans. That’s a gratuitously unfair smear on the patriotism of Hispanic Americans and no one assumes this about any other group of Americans. No one thinks for example, that black Americans would vote for which ever party that brings in more African immigrants or white Americans would support whichever party brings in more white Europeans. Hispanic Americans are just as patriotic as any other group and they don’t deserve to be attacked this way.

3) In tough economic times, does it really make sense to legalize 12-20 million illegals who can take advantage of our social safety net? It’s never a good idea to import poverty, but it’s an even worse idea to do it when the economy is bad and we’re running a huge deficit.

4) Illegal immigrants take jobs from American citizens and drive down labor rates. Because illegal immigrants don’t pay health care, don’t pay car insurance, and cheat on their taxes, they can afford to work for less than American citizens. This is really what’s happening when they talk about “jobs Americans won’t do.” They’re jobs where illegals have driven the salaries down so low, that Americans won’t do that job for that price anymore.

5) Although conservatives believe that English should be our national language, we should still do advertising in Spanish. Why? Because it sends a message that says “I have a problem with illegal immigration, not Hispanics.”

6) Conservatives believe that English should be our national language for a number of reasons including that it helps unify us as a culture and that you almost have to know English to get a good job in this country.

The reason the Democrats oppose having English as a national language is because they want to keep Hispanics poor, separate, and marginalized. That’s because the more successful and integrated into American society that Hispanics become, the more likely they are to vote for Republicans.

7) If Hispanic Americans want a party that will keep America safe and moral for their kids, then they should vote for the party that is pro-family, anti-abortion, and for traditional values. That’s the Republican Party. A vote for Democrats is a vote for people who want a perverted culture for your children.

8) One of the important reasons to build a wall is to keep illegals from dying in the desert trying to get here. By keeping the illegals out of the US and at home, we can save hundreds of lives every year.

9) How are countries like Mexico ever going to build better lives for their citizens when their people with the most “get-up-and-go” have “got up and went” to the United States? These Third World nations need their best and brightest to stay in country, not to go to the US where even if they’re highly trained, they have to do manual labor because they can’t speak the language.

10) Most Hispanic immigrants to come this country to find an opportunity, not to get a hand-out. The GOP is the party of opportunity and the Democrats are the party of hand outs. People who want opportunity and want to set a good example for their children, should be voting Republican.

John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.